Szechenyi Chain Bridge

The Szechenyi chain bridge in Budapest is a suspension bridge formed by layers of thin steel plate instead of wire rope spaning the Danube River between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern banks of Budapest. Designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark, this was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary, opened in 1849.

Walking across, I was at great pains to view with detail the engineering of this bridge, the layered steel plate, the hot rivets - Noriko was not the least bit interested. As we walked further across, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman also taking immense interest, his wife and female friend were bored. I very much enjoyed chatting engineering and bridge construction with him while Noriko spoke nothing about bridges, engineering or construction with the women.